America to Consume More Than 16 Million Slices of Pizza Hut Pizza on Sunday

$10 Any Deal Preps for MVP Performance on Company’s Busiest Day of the Year

Pizza Hut Expects to Surpass 2 Million Pizzas Sold on Football's Biggest Day

Dallas, TX  (RestaurantNews.com)  When teams from New York and New England meet on the gridiron in Indianapolis this Sunday, professional football’s ultimate crown will be on the line.  When it comes to choosing a meal for the Big Game, fans across the nation will look to Pizza Hut to deliver a championship spread just in time for kickoff. This year for the Big Game, Pizza Hut is expecting to surpass 2 million pizzas sold – more than 16 million slices – making it the chain’s busiest day of the year.

“There’s no question that football’s biggest day of the year will be the busiest day of the year at Pizza Hut,” said Kurt Kane, Pizza Hut CMO.  “Drivers, cashiers and cooks at more than 6,000 Pizza Hut restaurants are prepping for the madness of game day. With our famous $10 Any deal in place, we’re prepared to sell more pizzas on Feb. 5 than any day in Pizza Hut history.”

While Pizza Hut offers other fan favorites like pasta, wings and breadsticks, the No. 1 Big Game order will be pizza, to the tune of more than 2 million pies! To better demonstrate the sheer amount of Pizza Hut pizzas expected to exchange hands Sunday, the Pizza Hut research team released some mind-bending statistics.

• 442: Miles of Pizza Hut pizza to be sold on the big day, enough pizza  to lap the historic speedway in Indianapolis 176 times
• 1,200: Tons of dough that will be used to make Pizza Hut pizza for Big Game orders– more than 5-times the weight of the Statue of Liberty
• 90,000: Gallons of marinara sauce that will be spread across Pizza Hut pizzas on game day – enough to fill 5.7 million Boston Cream Donuts
• 80: Percentage of Big Game orders that will include America’s favorite topping, pepperoni; more than 14 billion pepperonis were consumed last year at Pizza Hut – enough to circle Earth 13.5 times

MVP: Most Valuable Pizza

With the epic return of the $10 Any Pizza deal – any pizza, any crust, any size for just $10 – fans can order crowd-pleasing favorites for one low price. For an additional charge, customers can enjoy Pizza Hut’s signature crust, Stuffed Crust Pizza.  The Pizza Hut $10 offer is available for a limited time, and no coupon is required.

Online Ordering – Why Wait?

Pizza lovers are encouraged to place early orders online at PizzaHut.com starting today. In addition to online ordering, fans can place orders for their favorite pizza, pasta and wings from their mobile devices via apps on the Apple iPhone, Apple iPad and Android smart phones, as well as text message and mobile web.

About Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut, America’s Favorite Pizza, delivers more pizza, pasta and wings than any other restaurant. The only pizza company to be named a top ten franchise in 2012 by Entrepreneur Magazine, Pizza Hut began 50 years ago in Wichita, Kansas, and today operates nearly 10,000 restaurants in more than 90 countries. Pizza Hut, Inc. is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM). To check out what’s new at Pizza Hut visit PizzaHut.com, or keep up with the brand via its social media channels at social.PizzaHut.com.

NPC International, Inc. Announces Agreement to Acquire 36 Units from Pizza Hut, Inc.

Overland Park, KS  (RestaurantNews.com)  Consistent with NPC International, Inc.’s objective to continue its growth within the Pizza Hut system, NPC announced today that it had entered into an Asset Sale Agreement (ASA) with Pizza Hut, Inc. and affiliates (PHI) pursuant to which NPC has agreed to purchase from PHI 36 Pizza Hut units for $18.8 million in cash, plus an additional amount for inventory, prepaids, and store cash.

The units being acquired include five fee-owned locations. This acquisition will be funded with available cash on hand and borrowings from the Company’s $100.0 million revolving credit facility.

The units to be acquired pursuant to the ASA are located in and around Jacksonville, Florida and are comprised of 27 delivery/carry-out units and 9 dine-in restaurants. According to information provided to NPC, 30 of the units to be acquired generated $27.8 million in net product sales during the 53 weeks ended December 2011; the remaining 6 units to be acquired are not included in these results because none of these units was open and/or under PHI management for a full year.

NPC expects the closing to occur in February 2012 and it is subject to obtaining customary approvals.

Jim Schwartz, Chairman and CEO of NPC International, Inc. said, “We are very excited to add this market to our portfolio and look forward to joining forces with the operations team in Jacksonville. These units are a perfect fit within our current geographical footprint which will allow us to leverage our existing operational infrastructure and expand our presence in the Florida market.

This transaction clearly demonstrates our continued strong belief in the Pizza Hut system and our continuing partnership with our best-in-class franchisor.

We expect the transaction to improve our overall credit statistics.”

NPC International, Inc. is the largest Pizza Hut franchisee and the largest franchisee of any restaurant concept in the United States (U.S.) according to the 2010 “Top 200 Restaurant Franchisees” by Franchise Times. The Company is also the eighth largest restaurant unit operator in the U.S. according to the 2011 “Chain Restaurant Industry Review” by GE Capital, Franchise Finance. The Company was founded in 1962 and operates 1,151 Pizza Hut units in 28 states with significant presence in the Midwest, South and Southeast. As of the third quarter of 2011, the Company’s operations represented approximately 19% of the domestic Pizza Hut restaurant system and approximately 21% of the domestic Pizza Hut franchised restaurant system as measured by number of units, excluding licensed units which operate with a limited menu and no delivery in certain of the Company’s markets.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this news release that do not relate to historical or current facts constitute forward-looking statements. These may include statements regarding NPC’s or management’s intentions, expectations or predictions of future performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be correct. NPC’s actual results may vary materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including lower than anticipated consumer discretionary spending; deterioration in general economic conditions; competition in the quick service restaurant market; adverse changes in food, labor and other costs; price inflation or deflation; the ability of NPC and other parties to acquisition transactions to satisfy the conditions to the closing of such transactions; the ability of NPC to obtain sale-leaseback financing on acceptable terms and other factors. All forward-looking statements made in this news release are made as of the date hereof. NPC does not intend to update these forward-looking statements and undertakes no duty to any person to provide any such update under any circumstances. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.

Contact

NPC International, Inc.
Troy D. Cook
913-327-3109
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Response to our first ever year in review (Top 20 Restaurant News Stories 2011) was so great, we just couldn’t help but serve up another heapin’ helping.

Following is a list of the Top 100 restaurant news stories read on RestaurantNews.com for 2011.

100) The Cheesecake Factory Serves National Cheesecake Day Deal

99) Whataburger Launches New All-Time Favorites Menu

98) Steak ‘n Shake: The History of Hamburger Restaurant Chains

97) Chipotle Unveils Details about New Asian Restaurant Concept

96) California Tortilla Dishes Up Advice on Successfully Using Social Media

95) Original BUBBA burger Grill Restaurants Under Development in Jacksonville, FL

94) Red Robin’s Prime Chophouse Burger Returns

93) 50 Best Brunches in the U.S. Chosen by OpenTable Diners

92) Wingstop Opens First Location in Monterrey, Mexico

91) Furr’s Fresh Buffet to Open in Spring, Texas

90) Successful Startup Restaurant Business Plans

89) U.S. Foodservice Is Now US Foods – Keeping Kitchens Cooking Across America

88) Red Mango Celebrates 100th Store With Introduction of Dark Chocolate Frozen Yogurt Nationwide

87) Restaurant Consultant Reveals 80 Most Common Restaurant Mistakes

86) CiCi’s Pizza Announces American Classics Line with Introduction of New Cheeseburger Pizza

85) White Castle: The History of Hamburger Restaurant Chains

84) United Capital Finances $2 million for Five Guys Burgers and Fries Operator

83) Top 10 Mistakes for a Startup Restaurant

82) Food Network Magazine Reveals the Best Pizza in Every State

81) Dining Out with Food Allergies & Intolerances: Now There’s an App for That

80) Papa John’s Continues Valentine’s Day Tradition with Heart-Shaped Pizza

79) Restaurants, Burger Lovers Celebrate National Hamburger Month

78) Shops at Starwood brings Smashburger to Frisco

77) Red Robin Debuts New Oktoberfest Bürger for a Limited Time Only

76) Panera Bread Enhances Spring Menu with Addition of Sirloin Steak Offerings

75) Panda Express Launches New Golden Treasure Shrimp with Free Offer March 9

74) Famous Dave’s Introduces Six New Menu Items Under 600 Calories

73) Hooters Partners with Kenny Chesney’s Goin’ Coastal Tour

72) Restaurateurs Think Yelp, Groupon Are Hurting Business

71) FREEBIRDS World Burrito Opening Restaurant Across from USC

70) Darden Restaurants to Buy Two Seafood Brands for $59 Million

69) Bru’s Room Sports Grill To Open Two New Locations In Stuart and Pembroke Pines in 2011

68) Dunkin’ Donuts Introduces Frozen Hot Chocolate

67) T.G.I. Friday’s Now Serving Brunch

66) Facebook, Twitter, and Smartphones Lead Social Media-Fueled Innovation Within U.S. Foodservice

65) Hurricane Grill & Wings Inks Deals for 223 New Restaurants

64) Bravo Brio Restaurant Group, Inc. Reports Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2010

63) T.G.I. Friday’s Introduces New Pick 2 for $10 Menu

62) Restaurant Marketing Tips for the Holiday Season

61) Friendly’s Enters Chapter 11, Closes 63 Restaurants

60) Wingstop Debuts Glider Chicken Sandwiches

59) McDonald’s Under Storm

58) Chili’s New Lunch Break is Recess for Adults

57) Domino’s Introduces New Wings and Boneless Chicken

56) Houston Man Selected as Tasti D-Lite’s September ‘Healthy Habit’ Winner

55) “Free Fries Friday” at Burger King December 16th

54) P.F. Chang’s Provides Tax Day Relief by Rewarding All Customers with 15 Percent Savings on April 18

53) Winner of Chipotle’s “Wrap What You Love” Contest Takes Home $10K

52) Perkins & Marie Callender’s Files Bankruptcy, Announces Restaurant Closings

51) IHOP Open on Thanksgiving Day and Giving Thanks With Bounceback Coupon

50) Church’s Chicken Beat Popeyes in a National Spicy Chicken Taste Test

49) World’s Largest Buffalo Wild Wings Opening in Brea

48) Wolfgang Puck’s CUT Las Vegas Debuts iPad Wine List

47) Blue Coast Burrito Opens in Cookeville

46) New York Bagel Café & Deli continues its expansion throughout the East Coast

45) Starbucks and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters to Start Partnership

44) Burger King Offers Two-for-One Original Chicken Sandwich Deal

43) Philly Pizza Restaurant Rolling in the Dough with Text Message Marketing

42) Restaurant Operators to Get More Social at NRA Show 2011

41) BJ’s Restaurant Sets New Opening Day Sales Record in Tyler, Texas

40) Lucky Mint, Baskin-Robbins March Flavor of the Month

39) Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse to Open in Boston’s Seaport District

38) McDonald’s Monopoly Returns with Millions of Prizes

37) Coffee Chain Loyalty Survey Brews Surprising Results

36) OpenTable Diners Reveal the Hottest Restaurants in the US

35) CiCi’s Pizza Signs Agreement for 16 New Restaurants in Texas

34) Seven Leading U.S. Restaurant Trends for 2012

33) Baja Fresh CEO David Kim Goes Undercover on CBS’s “Undercover Boss”

32) Whataburger Releases Online Survey Results Naming Customer Favorite

31) Bankrupt Restaurant Chain Lays Off 1,260 Overnight

30) Top 50 Restaurants in the U.S. with the Most Scenic Views

29) Restaurant Deals and Specials for Veterans Day

28) National Restaurant Association Member Tells Congress New 1099 Mandate Will Overwhelm Small Businesses, Urges Immediate Repeal

27) Arby’s Announces New “It’s Good Mood Food” Marketing Campaign

26) Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2010 Results

25) The Power of a Loyal Customer Base

24) Wendy’s Introduces Berry Almond Chicken Salad

23) Restaurant Manager’s Handbook a Restaurant Operations Bestseller

22) Oporto to Open First Location in Rancho Cucamonga, California

21) BJ’s Restaurants Opens at Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento, California

20) Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant Owners Receive 2011 Faces of Diversity Award

19) Seafood Specialties, Culinary Confections Ring In The New Year At The Grand Central Oyster Bar

18) Outback Steakhouse Free Steak Dinner Deal a Restaurant Marketing Win

17) National Restaurant Association Responds to the State of the Union Address

16) Restaurants Tossing a Summer of Salads

15) KFC Launches New 10-Piece Buckets, Helps Cash-Strapped Choirs

14) IHOP Offers New Chicken and Waffles For Limited Time

13) McDonald’s Introduces New McCafe Shakes

12) McDonald’s Reintroduces the Asian Salad

11) Restaurants Serving Up Social Media Connections

10) Cracker Barrel and The Grascals Celebrate #1 Debut on Billboard Bluegrass Chart

9) Five Emerging Trends in the Foodservice Industry

8) IHOP’s All You Can Eat Pancakes Promotion is Back

7) McDonald’s Offers New Fruit & Maple Oatmeal

6) SONIC Adds Four New Premium Beef Hot Dogs to Menu

5) After 119 Years, the Ice Cream Sundae Still a Restaurant Favorite

4) Burger King Offers Original Chicken Sandwich Deal for Fourth of July Weekend

3) Pizza Hut Launches Ultimate Cheese Lover’s with $10.99 Any Lover’s Deal and Facebook Sweepstakes

2) Golden Corral Restaurants Launch Endless Baby Back Ribs Promo

1) Phillips Seafood Opens Two New Airport Restaurants

Pizza Hut Top This! Contest Urges Consumers to “Show Us Your $10 Any Song” on Facebook for a Chance to Appear in a Commercial

Pizza Hut Releases "$10 Any Song" to Celebrate Famous Pizza Deal

Dallas, TX  (RestaurantNews.com)  Pizza Hut is ringing in the New Year by bringing back the most famous deal in pizza history: the $10 Any pizza deal. To celebrate in style, Pizza Hut has launched a new TV ad that sings the praises of the legendary deal, reminding consumers that they can get any size, any crust and any toppings for just $10.

“The $10 Any deal is such an unbelievable value on the best tasting pizzas around, that it has our customers singing,” said Kurt Kane, Pizza Hut CMO. “So, we’re taking it a step further and asking our fans to ‘top this’ by sending us their own renditions of the song for the chance to be in our next ad.”

Pizza Hut Top This! Contest

As $10 Any Song-mania sweeps the nation, Pizza Hut is urging consumers to upload their own rendition of the song to the Pizza Hut Facebook page (facebook.com/pizzahut) by Jan. 15, 2012 to be entered into the Pizza Hut Top This! Contest. After “liking” the Pizza Hut Facebook page, users can view the contest Official Rules for how to record and submit their videos.

Pizza Hut will select six Top This! grand prize winners whose $10 Any Song videos may be featured in a national TV spot. The six grand prize winners will also receive free Pizza Hut pizza for a year (gift cards valued at $599). The first 1,000 entrants who are determined to have eligible $10 Any Song videos will receive one free Pizza Hut pizza (gift card valued at $10).

In the new spot developed by The Martin Agency, a rocker dons red pants and performs the song with his electric guitar and the following lyrics:

Here’s a deal, an amazing pizza steal
Get any Pizza Hut pizza for ten dollars it’s for real
So go ahead and ask yourself, what have I got to lose?
For just ten dollars, now you get to choose
Any pizza, any toppings, any crust
There’s no stopping, any size, you decide
For ten dollars you can buy
Any pizza, any toppings, any crust
There’s no stopping, any size, you decide
For ten dollars you can buy

The Historic $10 Any Pizza Deal

For ten bucks, pizza fans can pick any size pizza they want, select from more than a dozen topping options, and choose from the Pizza Hut signature crusts – including Pan Pizza, Hand-Tossed Style Pizza, and Thin ‘N Crispy^® Pizza. For an additional charge, customers can enjoy Pizza Hut’s signature crust, Stuffed Crust Pizza. The Pizza Hut $10 offer is available for a limited time, and no coupon is required.

About Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut, America’s Favorite Pizza, delivers more pizza, pasta and wings than any other restaurant. The only pizza company to be named a top ten franchise in 2009 by Entrepreneur Magazine, Pizza Hut began more than 50 years ago in Wichita, Kansas, and today operates nearly 10,000 restaurants in more than 90 countries. Pizza Hut, Inc. is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM). To check out what’s new at Pizza Hut visit PizzaHut.com, or keep up with the brand via its social media channels at social.PizzaHut.com.

Yum! Brands Chairman and CEO David Novak Shares Break-Through Leadership Strategies in New Book, TAKING PEOPLE WITH YOU

Louisville, KY  (RestaurantNews.com)  How do you lead an organization of any size – from a tiny startup to a global giant – to make big things happen? Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM), the world’s largest restaurant company, announced today the publication of TAKING PEOPLE WITH YOU: The Only Way to Make BIG Things Happen (Portfolio Penguin, January 2012) by David Novak, Yum! chairman and chief executive officer. Novak shares the secrets of the unique “Taking People With You” leadership program he has developed and taught during his fifteen years at Yum! to thousands of managers and franchisees around the world.

Whether starting a business, developing or launching a new product, moving a company in a new direction or raising money for a good cause, TAKING PEOPLE WITH YOU has the answers to empower people at all levels personally and professionally. The book offers a step-by-step guide to setting big goals, getting others on board, achieving break-through results and celebrating after people “shock the skeptics.” Specific tools are included at the end of each chapter that challenge readers to reflect on how they are doing on key aspects of leadership.

Novak teaches leaders will never make big things happen until they learn how to get people aligned, enthusiastic and focused relentlessly on the mission. Yum!’s track record of success, with at least 13 percent earnings-per-share growth for each of the last nine years, proves his point. Under his leadership, Yum! has established itself as a global powerhouse going from approximately 20 percent profits coming from outside the U.S. in 1997 to more than 65 percent in 2010, while driving one of the highest returns on invested capital in the restaurant industry. Today, Yum! is the leading retail developer in China as well as the largest and fastest growing restaurant company in emerging markets with a two-to-one advantage over its nearest competitor. Additionally, Novak has built Yum!’s entire global people-first culture around reward and recognition to drive results.

TAKING PEOPLE WITH YOU is filled with street-smart wisdom from David Novak as well as leadership advice from other renowned business icons and management experts such as Warren Buffett, Jack Welch, John O’Keeffe (creator and author of Business Beyond the Box), Larry Senn (chairman and founder of Senn Delaney) and many others. It teaches people to change the way they think about leadership and practice it such as:

• Get inside the heads of your people. You can’t convince them of anything until you see the world from their perspective.
• Think big. If your sales growth last year was 3.5 percent, don’t aim for 4 percent this year, aim for 15 percent. Even if you fail, you’ll probably do better than you would have with a smaller goal.
• Practice “extraordinary authenticity.” Show occasional vulnerability and admit when you don’t have the answers.
• Look for good ideas in unexpected places. Earlier in Novak’s career when he was head of the Frito-Lay account at an advertising agency, he and his team came up with the idea for Cool Ranch Doritos during a field trip to a grocery store’s salad dressing aisle.
• Choose a can-do mind-set. There’s a huge difference between a boss who says “We can try this” and one who says “We can do this!”
• Cheer for first downs, not just touchdowns. Publicly recognizing and rewarding small wins keeps everyone motivated for the long haul.
• Get rid of cynics. In many teams one person will reject your values and spread negative energy. Moving that person out will show everyone else you’re serious.

Whether you are a CEO, an entrepreneur, or new to the business world, TAKING PEOPLE WITH YOU will help you get into the right leadership mind-set, develop a strategy and build alignment, and follow-through on the execution of the plan.

All of Novak’s proceeds from TAKING PEOPLE WITH YOU will be donated to the United Nations World Food Programme in conjunction with Yum! Brands global hunger relief efforts. Visit www.takingpeoplewithyou.com.

About the Author

Recognized as one of the world’s “30 Best CEOs” by Barron’s, one of the “Top People in Business” by FORTUNE and one of the “100 Best-Performing CEOs in the World” by Harvard Business Review, Yum! chairman and chief executive officer David Novak is known for motivating people, cultivating leaders and building winning teams. He is also the recipient of the national 2008 Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship. Prior to leading Yum!, he was president of both KFC and Pizza Hut and held senior management positions at PepsiCo. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife. He is also the author of THE EDUCATION OF AN ACCIDENTAL CEO: Lessons Learned from the Trailer Park to the Corner Office (Crown Business, October 2007) that chronicles his personal journey to chairman and chief executive officer and the lessons that proved valuable along the way.

About Yum! Brands

Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, is the world’s largest restaurant company in terms of system restaurants with more than 36,000 restaurants in more than 117 countries and 1.4 million company and franchise associates. Yum! is ranked #214 on the Fortune 500 List, with revenues of more than $11 billion in 2010. The Company’s restaurant brands – KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell – are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. Outside the United States, the Yum! Brands system opened approximately four new restaurants each day of the year, making it a leader in international retail development. The Company has consistently been recognized for its reward and recognition culture, diversity leadership, community giving, and consistent shareholder returns.

Contact

Yum! Brands, Inc.
Virginia Ferguson, 502-874-8200
or
Weber Shandwick
Michael Schiferl, 312-988-2017

Stamford, CT  (RestaurantNews.com)  Stamford, Conn.-based Olympus Partners has acquired NPC International, Inc. (“NPC”), the largest Pizza Hut franchisee and the largest franchisee of any restaurant concept in the United States. The company operates 1,153 Pizza Hut units (approximately 19 percent of the domestic system) in 28 states with significant presence in the Midwest, South and Southeast.

Olympus has a long history of investing in successful restaurant franchisees, including previous investments in the Taco Bell, KFC, Wendy’s, Chili’s and Golden Corral systems.

Paul Rubin of Olympus Partners commented, “We are excited to be partnering with Jim Schwartz, Troy Cook and the rest of the highly experienced management team at NPC who have a long track record of delivering growth and superior operating results. We are also enthusiastic about investing again with YUM! Brands, this time in supporting Pizza Hut, the leading pizza brand in the U.S.”

Founded in 1988, Olympus Partners is a Stamford, Conn.-based private equity firm focused on providing equity capital for middle market management buyouts and for companies needing capital for expansion. Olympus is an active, long-term investor across a broad range of industries, including restaurants, consumer products, healthcare services, financial services and business services.

Olympus manages in excess of $3 billion on behalf of corporate pension funds, endowment funds and state-sponsored retirement programs. The investment in NPC is Olympus’ eighth investment out of its $1.5 billion fifth fund.

The Olympus team included Paul Rubin, Evan Eason, Chase Ormond and Jason Allevato.

Top 20 Restaurant News Stories 2011

Stick a fork in it.  2011 is done.  And almost every media outlet in the world has put together some type of Top Stories list.  RestaurantNews.com has been serving up online restaurant news for over 12 years, but this is the first time we’ve stepped up to the Year in  Review buffet.

Following is a list of the Top 20 stories read on RestaurantNews.com over the past year.

Update: Top 100 stories of 2011.


20) Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant Owners Receive 2011 Faces of Diversity Award
In April, the National Restaurant Association honored Ethiopian sisters Berekti and Akberet Mengistu, owner-operators of Mesob restaurant in Montclair, N.J., with its 2011 Faces of Diversity American Dream Award.  The Mengistu sisters have operated Mesob for over seven years with Berekti handling the business operations and Akberet serving as chef.

19) Seafood Specialties, Culinary Confections Ring In The New Year At The Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Oyster Bar made a surprising, last minute jump into our Top 20 with the annoucement of executive chef Sandy Ingber special New Year’s Eve menu of seafood delicacies available for lunch and dinner at the historic restaurant “below sea level” in Grand Central Terminal.

18) Outback Steakhouse Free Steak Dinner Deal a Restaurant Marketing Win
Outback Steakhouse made a move that dominated restaurant marketing news in August by giving away one million free steak dinners in its Great Aussie Steak Out promotion.  The promotion was designed to introduce Outback’s new wood-fire grill steak preparation and new menu options.  RestaurantNews.com served up a tasty review of the campaign.

17) National Restaurant Association Responds to the State of the Union Address
The National Restaurant Association responded to President Obama’s job creation speech in January, and called attention to its “America Works Here” campaign which was formed to help educate opinion leaders, policymakers, and their staff members about the breadth, depth, scope and influence of the restaurant industry on the American economy.

16) Restaurants Tossing a Summer of Salads
It was the Summer of Salads as restaurants across America offered up a super summer salad fiesta. If you’re a salad lover, then you were in for a summer of tasty green treats.  RestaurantNews.com took a look at the salad offerings of several national restaurant chains.

15) KFC Launches New 10-Piece Buckets, Helps Cash-Strapped Choirs
To launch its new 10-piece 10 Buck Sunday Bucket deal in March, Kentucky Fried Chicken offered 11 struggling choirs across the country $1,000 grants to help keep their harmonies alive.  Members of The St. Louis Children’s Choirs kicked off the program at a KFC restaurant in St. Louis.

14) IHOP Offers New Chicken and Waffles For Limited Time
In March, IHOP rolled out its Chicken and Waffles, becoming the first restaurant chain to offer the combination nationwide.  The Chicken and Waffles, a limited time promotion, included four golden all white meat chicken tenders with four light and crisp Belgian waffle quarters.

13) McDonald’s Introduces New McCafe Shakes
In February, McDonald’s announced plans to “shake things up” with the introduction of the McCafe Shake in its restaurants.  The McCafe Shakes feature the three classic milkshake flavors (chocolate, vanilla and strawberry) in a clear McCafe cup, topped with whipped cream and a cherry.

12) McDonald’s Reintroduces the Asian Salad
McDonald’s brought back its popular Asian Salad in May for a limited time.  The Asian Salad consists of greens, edamame, snow peas, red bell peppers, mandarin oranges, toasted almonds and an orange-glazed grilled or crispy white meat chicken breast filet.

11) Restaurants Serving Up Social Media Connections
Many restaurants today are still left sitting at the cutting board trying to figure out a successful recipe for social marketing, while the early adopters are reaping the rewards of a lucrative, successful social media push.  People are hungry for much more than food. They want to feel connected, and social media allows them to feel as if they are a part of the whole restaurant family.

10) Cracker Barrel and The Grascals Celebrate #1 Debut on Billboard Bluegrass Chart
In January, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and The Grascals announced the #1 debut of The Grascals & Friends – Country Classics with a Bluegrass Spin on the Billboard Top Bluegrass Albums chart.  The CD is part of Cracker Barrel’s exclusive music program.

9) Five Emerging Trends in the Foodservice Industry
In today’s competitive foodservice industry, it’s becoming increasingly important for brands to engage guests and employees in a more meaningful and personal manner.  Steve Prodger, Vice President of Food Services with Empathica, reviewed how restaurants could gain a better understanding of the ways customers want to be engaged and how that information can be used to earn lifelong, loyal clientele.

8) IHOP’s All You Can Eat Pancakes Promotion is Back
IHOP brought back its limited time All You Can Eat Pancakes promotion at the beginning of the year.  IHOP guests could order unlimited pancakes, served three at a time, for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

7) McDonald’s Offers New Fruit & Maple Oatmeal
McDonald’s kicked off the year with the introduction of its Fruit & Maple Oatmeal, made with whole grains, light cream, brown sugar, red and green apples, cranberries, and two varieties of raisins.  The breakfast item is available throughout the day at any McDonald’s location, comes with or without brown sugar, and is also available in a less sweetened version.

6) SONIC Adds Four New Premium Beef Hot Dogs to Menu
Hot dogs have been an American favorite for generations. At the beginning of the year, Every Day with Rachael Ray declared 2011 as the Year of the Hot Dog.  SONIC agreed, rolling out a new line of Premium Beef Hot Dogs with a variety of toppings.  The drive-in restaurant chain offered up a Chicago Dog, a New York Dog, an All-American Dog and the Chili Cheese Coney for $1.99 each.

5) After 119 Years, the Ice Cream Sundae Still a Restaurant Favorite
In April, the ice cream sundae celebrated its 119th birthday.  Over the years, they became a mainstay in the restaurant industry, evolving and giving birth to a new generation of restaurant sundaes including the McFlurry and the Blizzard.  RestaurantNews.com took a look at ice cream sundaes offered up by some of your favorite restaurants.

4) Burger King Offers Original Chicken Sandwich Deal for Fourth of July Weekend
Burger King’s flame-broiled Whopper may be the burger chain’s most famous menu item, but with a price point of $1.04, the Original Chicken Sandwich ruled the roost during a Fourth of July weekend promotion.  The crispy, premium white meat chicken patty topped with shredded lettuce and mayo on a bakery-style, sesame seed bun has been a menu favorite since 1979.

3) Pizza Hut Launches Ultimate Cheese Lover’s with $10.99 Any Lover’s Deal and Facebook Sweepstakes
Pizza Hut launched its Ultimate Cheese Lover’s pizza in May.  The company offered up the Ultimate Cheese Lover’s, the Pepperoni Lover’s, the Meat Lover’s, and the Veggie Lover’s for $10.99.  The pizza chain also began running its Ultimate Lover’s Lover Facebook sweepstakes, awarding a $50 Pizza Hut gift cards daily and free pizza for a year for weekly winners.

2) Golden Corral Restaurants Launch Endless Baby Back Ribs Promo
Golden Corral rolled out an abundance of new ribs products in April, including Baby Back Ribs. This array of  freshly-prepared BBQ ribs products was in addition to the buffet chain’s 150-item, every day dinner buffet, which includes slow-cooked Pot Roast, made-from-scratch Meatloaf, and grilled-to-order USDA dinner buffet Sirloin Steaks.

1) Phillips Seafood Opens Two New Airport Restaurants
In July, Phillips Seafood announced the opening of two new airport restaurant locations: Newark Liberty International as well as Harrisburg International Airport bringing the total to nine successful airport restaurant operations.  Both full service locations feature a traditional Phillips menu offering signature crab dishes, genuine Maryland style favorites and specialty drinks.  The restaurants are franchises with two leading concessionaires.

Pizza Hut Teams Up with the Tim Tebow Foundation to Encourage Kids to Read

Tim Tebow to Quarterback 2012 America's Biggest Storytime for the Pizza Hut BOOK IT! Reading Program

Dallas, TX  (RestaurantNews.com)  Tim Tebow will channel his passion for winning on the football field to help Pizza Hut and the BOOK IT! Reading Program motivate children to read more and develop a lifelong love of reading. On Feb. 15, 2012, Tim will host the fifth America’s Biggest Storytime event, where he will read his favorite childhood book – Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss – to youngsters across the globe via the web.

As a “thank you” for Tim’s participation, BOOK IT! will make a donation to the Tim Tebow Foundation, which is dedicated to bringing faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need.

Pizza Hut and BOOK IT! established the America’s Biggest Storytime event in 2007 to feed the need for reading traditions in today’s households. The 2011 event drew more than 500,000 viewers.

The link to view Tim’s America’s Biggest Storytime reading on February 15 will be released in January.  More information about the BOOK IT! Program can be found at bookitprogram.com. Fans can learn more about the Tim Tebow Foundation at timtebowfoundation.org.

About BOOK IT!

In 1985, Pizza Hut established the BOOK IT! National Reading Incentive Program to motivate children to read more and help them develop a lifelong love of reading. BOOK IT! is a six-month program for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. For more information, visit www.bookitprogram.com or keep up with BOOK IT! via its social media outlets @BOOKITprogram or Facebook.com/BOOKIT1985.

About Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut, America’s Favorite Pizza, delivers more pizza, pasta and wings than any other restaurant. The only pizza company to be named a top ten franchise in 2009 by Entrepreneur Magazine, Pizza Hut began more than 50 years ago in Wichita, Kansas, and today operates nearly 10,000 restaurants in more than 90 countries. Pizza Hut, Inc. is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM). To check out what’s new at Pizza Hut visit PizzaHut.com, or keep up with the brand via its social media channels at social.PizzaHut.com.

Media Contact

Luke DeRouen
214.727.3708
luke.derouen@zenogroup.com

Pizza Hut Offers Instant Crowd Support During Holidays With the Launch of Big Dinner Box

Dallas, TX  (RestaurantNews.com)  Feeding a crowd this holiday season just got a whole lot easier – and more affordable – thanks to a BIG new menu item at Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut has launched the Big Dinner Box, an epic-sized box filled with two medium rectangular one-topping pizzas, eight wings and five breadsticks for only $19.99. The Big Dinner Box from Pizza Hut is one of the pizza category’s first ever value boxes offering a combination of pizza and side items in a single package. The Big Dinner Box is available for a limited time at participating Pizza Hut restaurants.

“More than 50 years ago, Pizza Hut began a journey that brought great tasting, value-driven pizza to a national audience,” said Kurt Kane, Chief Marketing Officer at Pizza Hut. “Now we’re breaking ground again by offering our first ever pizza value box because we know that our customers need a value-conscious option that can feed a crowd during the holidays. The new Big Dinner Box does just that with an unmatched combo of pizza, wings and breadsticks in one giant box for an unbelievable price.”

The Big Dinner Box could not have arrived at a better time, as Pizza Hut restaurants nationwide are prepping for “Red Roof Wednesday,” a consumer phenomenon that rivals Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Red Roof Wednesday is the day before Thanksgiving – tomorrow, Nov. 23 this year – when households are packed with hungry college students and out-of-town relatives in search of a quick meal without dirtying the dishes before turkey day.

This year on Red Roof Wednesday, Pizza Hut expects to sell 1 million pizzas. The projection continues a trend that makes the day before Thanksgiving consistently the busiest weekday of the year at Pizza Hut (excluding Fridays).  In addition to the 1 million pizzas sold, Pizza Hut is expecting to receive 275,000 orders for the new Big Dinner Box on Red Roof Wednesday.

To put into perspective the amount of Pizza Hut pizza America will be enjoying on Red Roof Wednesday, the Pizza Hut research team crunched some numbers.

• 2.4 Million: Pounds of Pizza Hut pizza ordered on Red Roof Wednesday – that’s equivalent to the weight of 151,000 Thanksgiving turkeys.
• 1.2 Million: Feet of Pizza Hut pizzas sold on Red Roof Wednesday – enough to cover the length of the Mayflower more than 12,000 times.

Big Dinner Box – By Land, Air and Sea

With Red Roof Wednesday just around the corner and the debut of the Big Dinner Box in sight, Pizza Hut generated buzz at a series of events across the country by delivering the Big Dinner Box in three exciting ways: by land, air and sea.

Pizza Hut activated the Big Dinner Box “land” delivery under the stars on Nov. 7 in Los Angeles. The target was hundreds of gamers at a GameStop® retail store waiting to get their hands on the holiday season’s hottest video game. The gamers, many of whom had been standing in line for hours, erupted when Pizza Hut delivery personnel poured out of military vehicles carrying Big Dinner Boxes for all.

Four days later, paratroopers in full Pizza Hut uniform dropped from the sky over the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Fla., during the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show. The Nov. 11 “air” delivery was met by the cheers of thousands of surprised spectators and service men and women.

On Sunday, the “sea” delivery was completed when the Hutflower – a replica of the Mayflower made of Big Dinner Boxes – arrived near Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Mass. Big Dinner Boxes were then unloaded from aboard the Hutflower and introduced to America at the birthplace of Thanksgiving.  Families and even a group of pilgrims were on site to sample the Big Dinner Box and give it the official Thanksgiving seal of approval.

Meet the Stars of the Big Dinner Box

The Big Dinner Box features a trio of Pizza Hut favorites: pizza, wings and breadsticks.  To make it even easier to please large crowds, customers can customize their box with their favorite pizza toppings and flavor choices for their wings.

• Pizza: a pair of medium, rectangular, thick-crust-style pizzas with one great-tasting Pizza Hut topping on each; customers can choose different toppings for each to help keep the holiday crowds satisfied
• Wings: eight mouth-watering chicken wings available in all styles and flavors offered at the selected Pizza Hut restaurant; WingStreet locations offer the choice of traditional, bone-out and crispy bone-in styles and the full line of signature WingStreet sauces
• Breadsticks: crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, the famous Pizza Hut breadsticks are no side show in the Big Dinner Box lineup; five are included in each Big Dinner Box along with a marinara dipping sauce

About Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut, America’s Favorite Pizza, delivers more pizza, pasta and wings than any other restaurant. The only pizza company to be named a top ten franchise in 2009 by Entrepreneur Magazine, Pizza Hut began more than 50 years ago in Wichita, Kansas, and today operates nearly 10,000 restaurants in more than 90 countries. Pizza Hut, Inc. is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM). To check out what’s new at Pizza Hut visit PizzaHut.com, or keep up with the brand via its social media channels at social.PizzaHut.com.

Media Contact
Luke DeRouen
214.727.3708
luke.derouen@zenogroup.com

Pizza Hut and BOOK IT! Announce Big Book Giveaway Winners

Pizza Hut and the BOOK IT! Program have announced the winners of the second annual BOOK IT! Big Book Giveaway. The giveaway challenges Pizza Hut restaurants nationwide to submit creative donation ideas for a chance to distribute 500 books in their communities in celebration of National Young Readers Week from November 7-11, 2011.

“I am inspired by the enthusiasm and creativity demonstrated by our restaurant team members during the BOOK IT! Big Book Giveaway,” said Shelley Morehead, BOOK IT! Program Director, “National Young Readers Week is all about bringing out the fun in reading.  Our restaurants have developed creative ways to distribute books to children in ways that will bring joy to many deserving communities across the country.”

For the BOOK IT! Big Book Giveaway, over 6,000 Pizza Hut restaurants nationwide were invited to submit ideas on how they would distribute 500 books to children in their communities. Each entry completed a form describing how the donation of books would impact the community and support literacy tied to the BOOK IT! Program. Many of the winners are hosting celebrations for the recipients and local families to award the books.

From the received submissions for the BOOK IT! Big Book Giveaway, there were twenty Pizza Hut locations selected from across the country. Highlighted below are a few of the winning Giveaway Concepts:

• Brookville, Ohio: Host a parade at Children’s Medical Center with Pizza Hut volunteers wearing book character costumes while distributing books to the hospital patients.
• Hoover, Alabama: Donate books to elementary schools in rural Tuscaloosa County, which was dramatically damaged from this season’s horrendous tornado season.
• Houston, Texas: Host a Pizza Hut celebration at Travis Elementary and honor the ” Mission: Go Travis Book Club:” a group of students committed to finding fellow students who do not have books at home and providing them opportunities to read by sharing their own books and creating a club library. Local celebrities, faculty, community members and even famous book characters will attend the event!
• Joplin, Missouri: Donate books to schools that lost many things during the tornado season.  The restaurants plan to hold a kids night Halloween function in conjunction with the book donations and give all attending children a Halloween goodie bag including a book.
• Marysville, Michigan: Donate books to an elementary school in Marysville, MI, as it is a “Gateway to Learning” for its students.  To present the books, the school staff would provide each teacher with a Pizza Hut / BOOK IT! reading tracker dry erase board and discuss the importance of reading and support the core values of the school.

Founded in 1989 by Pizza Hut and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, National Young Readers Week is an annual event that encourages young readers to get excited about reading. Events are hosted in schools across the country, where local officials, sports figures, public safety officers, parents and other “celebrities” from the community share their favorite stories with students to help reinforce the importance of reading and to encourage reading for enjoyment.

Some of the 40 million Americans currently receiving food stamps from the nation’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program may soon be able to use them at participating fast food restaurants.

Yum! Brands – the parent company of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC, Long John Silver’s and A&W – is lobbying to have food stamps be accepted at their restaurants.

“It makes perfect sense to expand a program that’s working well in California, Arizona and Michigan, enabling the homeless, elderly and disabled to purchase prepared meals with SNAP benefits in a restaurant environment,” Yum! spokesman Jonathan Blum told USA Today.

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The final day of NRFtech 2011 kicked off with a mobile strategy presentation by Pizza Hut CIO Baron Concors.

The chain, Concors said, “has a history of taking calculated risks. We don’t mind being the first mover on something, or making an investment early. Our goal is to be where our customers are.”

Pizza Hut launched its first mobile site for ordering in 2007; it has had a presence on Facebook and Twitter since 2008, and launched its iPhone app in 2009. “Just recently,” Concors said, “we launched apps for the iPad and Android, and any day now we’ll have one for Windows Mobile 7.”

The decision to launch an iPhone app evolved from several sources. One was the company’s awareness of the ubiquity of mobile communications; another was the rapid adoption of smartphones by the general public. In corporate America, Concors pointed out, people have been carrying these hybrid telephone/Internet devices around for years. “Now it’s not just the corporate sector,” he said, “it’s everybody. People want access to web pages, they want video and they want apps.”

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McDonald’s has brought back their Monopoly game to over 14,000 national restaurants. Players have a one in four chance of winning with prizes ranging from free food to $1 million dollar. Resort vacations, Redbox rentals, and motorcycles are also included. Menu items featuring game pieces include the Big Mac, Filet-O-Fish and many others.

While independent restaurants don’t get the group branding advantage of chains, they do have consumers looking for them specifically. New research from Mintel shows that nearly 50% of consumers report seeking out independently owned restaurants for dining. Half of them are doing so to offer support to local business owners.

U.S. Foodservice is undergoing a re-branding campaign and have changed their name to US Foods. The company provides supplies and pre-cooked foods to a variety of campuses, restaurants and other kitchens. Improved quality of their food offerings is also part of the re-branding plan, along with updated packaging.

Denny’s Corporation has begun a partnership with the Casanova Pendrill firm to broaden their appeal to Spanish-speaking diners. Casanova Pendrill will be the company’s Spanish agency of record beginning in October. This will help Denny’s develop new marketing and promotional campaigns to target Hispanic customers more effectively.

Unilever Food Solutions has announced the winner of their online “Inspired Restaurant Makeover” contest for small, independent restaurants. The Coach Sports Grille near Detroit will receive a total makeover package that comes with a value of $100,000. Consultation from restaurant coaches and training through the Culinary Institute of America is also included.

Church’s Chicken is investing in their executive team by hiring a new Chief Executive Officer. Jim Hyatt comes to the fried chicken chain after serving as the President and CEO for Cosi Inc. He’s worked in the restaurant industry for over 35 years, including 16 as a store owner and executive with Burger King.

Don Shula may be the winningest coach in the history of the National Football League, but he also knows about quality burgers. He plans to open his first Shula Burger location in Islamorada, Florida by the end of 2011. Expansion into a small chain is planned for the rest of 2012. The chain will serve gourmet burgers, quality sides and a wide wine selection.

Smashburger first introduced the Windy City Burger in Chicago, the town that inspired it. Now its growing popularity has brought it to the rest of the country. The burger, which features a pretzel roll and haystack onions, will be available nationally until October 30^th. The 100% Angus Beef patty is included on this Smashburger as well.

Pizza Hut is using the over 7,000 locations across the country to help end hunger across the world. The “Share a Slice of Hope” campaign will raise money during the 2011 World Hunger Relief program. Pizza Hut is teaming up with game developer Zynga to solicit donations through online and in-store drives.

While the big players in the burger industry, like McDonald’s and Burger King, are struggling to grow, small fast-casual chains are seeing improving numbers. Chains like Smashburger and the Counter are bringing in consumers despite the recession by offering higher quality food than fast food chains. Big burger chains are also focusing on breakfast and other menu items and not burgers.

Pizza Hut announced today a movement across its more than 7,200 U.S. restaurants that positions America’s largest pizza chain as a leader in the fight against the global hunger epidemic. Pizza Hut is challenging America to “Share a Slice of Hope” during the 2011 World Hunger Relief campaign via multiple donation channels, including an exclusive integration with social game developer Zynga via online contributions at zynga.com/pizzahut through Oct. 31, 2011. More information about 2011 World Hunger Relief efforts at Pizza Hut and the Share a Slice of Hope initiative are available at pizzahut.com/slicesofhope.

“Global hunger statistics are astounding, with nearly one billion people going days or weeks without a substantial meal,” said Scott Bergren, Pizza Hut CEO. “We want to make a difference and we’re asking our customers and employees to ‘Share a Slice of Hope’ with those in need.  Just $1 donated to the World Hunger Relief campaign feeds four children in need.”

Zynga players looking to join the Share a Slice of Hope movement will get their chance to contribute within their favorite games. Pizza Hut has partnered with the world’s leading social game developer to deliver the first ever offline to online contribution experience through Zynga.org for players in FarmVille, CityVille, Empires & Allies and The Pioneer Trail. Players will receive a choice of one exclusive, limited edition item for each contribution of $5 or more made through zynga.com/pizzahut, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefitting the World Food Programme.

“We’re thrilled to join the World Food Programme and Pizza Hut in their battle against world hunger and to heighten awareness of the campaign among our players,” added Laura Pincus Hartman, Director of External Partnerships for Zynga.org.

In addition to contributing through social gaming, online donations can be made to World Hunger Relief when completing an order at pizzahut.com. Customers can then share their donation with friends and followers on social media for the ultimate Share a Slice of Hope experience.

Pizza Hut is also encouraging customers to donate in-store when they visit their neighborhood restaurants. Customers who make a donation in-store may add a personalized pepperoni to a pizza-shaped sharing board displayed in each participating restaurant.

With a robust 2011 World Hunger Relief effort, Pizza Hut looks to surpass its record donation total from last year of nearly $2 million. To help meet this target, local Pizza Hut restaurants nationwide have set their own donation goals and will host events and fundraisers within their communities throughout the month-long campaign. All donations made during the 2011 World Hunger Relief campaign will benefit the World Food Programme’s hunger relief efforts.

Yum! Brands, the world’s largest restaurant company and parent of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, announced today the launch of its annual World Hunger Relief effort featuring multi-Grammy Award winner and international superstar Christina Aguilera in a new public service announcement. According to the United Nations, there are nearly 1 billion people around the world who are hungry today.

World Hunger Relief is the world’s largest private sector hunger relief effort, spanning 110 countries, 38,000 KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants and more than 1 million employees and franchise associates. The campaign raises awareness, volunteerism and funds for WFP and other hunger relief agencies.

The new PSA captures Aguilera standing on a dark stage that is artistically illuminated by sparkling lights held by children. As Aguilera sings a soulful a capella rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, graphics illustrate how millions of children go to bed hungry. She urges people to join her in turning hunger into hope.

The PSA will start airing in mid-October. Aguilera will also appear in World Hunger Relief restaurant posters with the quote “Together, we have the power to save lives and go from hunger to hope” and online efforts, including the campaign’s website, FromHungertoHope.com.

Aguilera has served as global spokesperson for World Hunger Relief since 2009. She also serves as an “Ambassador Against Hunger” for WFP where she has traveled on relief trips with the organization to Haiti and Guatemala.

“As a mother, I can’t accept that children around the globe are going hungry and that’s why I’m so passionate about this issue,” said Aguilera. “My new PSA for World Hunger Relief is a twist on a classic lullaby but also a reminder that every night, millions of children go to sleep hungry. It gives those children a voice and shows how together, we can give every child a chance to dream,” added Aguilera.

“With nearly 1 billion people going hungry around the world, as well as the desperate situation in the Horn of Africa, we all need to help find a solution to this critical issue,” said David Novak, Chairman and CEO, Yum! Brands, Inc. “We are thankful for Christina’s efforts to help us build awareness, inspire volunteerism and raise money to fight hunger. As a company with a huge heart, we believe it is our privilege and responsibility to do everything we can to make a difference and save lives.”

Hunger and malnutrition are the number one risk to health worldwide – greater than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Among the key causes of hunger are natural disasters, conflict, poverty, poor agricultural infrastructure and over-exploitation of the environment.

Recently, financial and economic crises, coupled with drought, high food prices and conflict affecting more than 13 million in the Horn of Africa, have pushed more people into hunger. Yum! is directing the first $1 million from its World Hunger Relief effort this year to help WFP provide food to families affected by hunger and suffering the effects of drought in the Horn of Africa. Novak and other senior executives and franchise leaders from KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Yum! Restaurants International also traveled to Honduras last month to help WFP’s relief efforts in the country.

“The world hunger relief campaign provides life-saving food and nutrition to millions of children, transforming desperation to hope,” said Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of WFP. “This support enables school meal programs in the world’s most food-insecure areas, helping ensure children are not only being nourished, but can attend school, helping break the cycle of hunger and poverty.”

Consumers can visit FromHungertoHope.com or donate in the restaurants (no purchase necessary – see calendar below for dates that each brand’s participating restaurants begin their in–store campaign). Every U.S. dollar raised will go directly towards WFP’s operations to fight hunger around the world. One U.S. dollar provides four meals for hungry children at school.

Yum! plans to generate the equivalent of nearly $50 million in awareness of the hunger issue through a PSA, advertising, public relations, web–based communications and in–restaurant posters. The Company’s employees and franchisees will be volunteering their time around the globe at hunger relief agencies, food banks, soup kitchens and launching fundraisers.

Since World Hunger Relief launched in 2007, more than one million of the Company’s employees, franchisees and their families have volunteered more than 21 million hours to aid hunger relief efforts in communities worldwide. The effort has raised nearly $85 million for WFP and other hunger relief organizations and is helping to provide more than 350 million meals and save the lives of millions of people in remote corners of the world.

Yum! is also addressing hunger across the U.S. through its Harvest program. Since its launch over two decades ago, Harvest has become the largest prepared-food donation program in the world. Through Harvest, Yum! has donated over 125 million pounds of food, with a value of over $500 million, to those at risk of hunger in the U.S. The Company also has been the primary sponsor of the Dare to Care Food Bank in Louisville for nine years, and has donated nearly $9 million to this local agency.

Campaign Calendar: World Hunger Relief kicks off its fall campaign in the U.S. with Pizza Hut on September 25, Taco Bell on October 6 and KFC on October 17.

Bank of America Corp. (BAC), the lender divesting assets to raise capital, is in exclusive talks to sell its stake in the biggest U.S. Pizza Hut franchisee for more than $800 million, said two people with knowledge of the discussions.

Two private-equity firms teamed up to bid for NPC International Inc., which operates 1,140 Pizza Hut restaurants, said the people, who declined to be identified because the talks are confidential. One hurdle in closing the transaction is arranging debt financing for Overland Park, Kansas-based NPC as credit markets for buyouts tighten, the people said.

“They’ve got to do two things — reduce riskier assets and continue to reallocate capital to other businesses,” said Jonathan Finger, whose family-owned investment company, Finger Interests Ltd., owns 1.1 million Bank of America shares. “These asset sales achieve both those goals, it’s a step in the right direction to slim the company down.”

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Yum! Brands has signed definitive agreements to sell Long John Silver’s, Inc. and A&W Restaurants, Inc. to two separate buyers led by key franchisee leaders. Both sales are subject to customary closing conditions.

“We are pleased to announce that we have identified strategic buyers who are passionate about these two great restaurant brands and committed to their growth potential,” said David C. Novak, Yum! Brands, Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “As we continue to sharpen our long-term growth focus on international expansion and improving our US brand positions in KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s and A&W no longer fit our long-term growth strategy.”

The Company does not expect the sales to have a material impact to its ongoing earnings or cash flow. Both transactions are expected to close in the fourth quarter. Goldman, Sachs & Co. acted as exclusive financial advisor to Yum! Brands on the transactions.

Long John Silver’s will be acquired by LJS Partners LLC, led by a consortium of prominent franchisee leaders and other investors.

A&W will be acquired by A Great American Brand LLC, led by a franchisee leader with substantial interests in international A&W restaurants and the National A&W Franchisees Association representing U.S. A&W restaurant operators.

Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Ky., is the world’s largest restaurant company in terms of system restaurants with approximately 38,000 restaurants in more than 110 countries and territories. The company is ranked #214 on the Fortune 500 List, with revenues of more than $11 billion in 2010. Four of the company’s restaurant brands – KFC, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver’s and Taco Bell – are the global leaders of the chicken, quick-service seafood, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. A&W Restaurants is the longest running quick-service franchise chain in America. Outside the United States, the Yum! Brands system opened approximately four new restaurants each day of the year, making it a leader in international retail development. The company has consistently been recognized for its reward and recognition culture, diversity leadership, community giving, and consistent shareholder returns.

Wendy’s was winning with some of its other innovative menu items, but their classic hamburger was in need of a makeover. The chain has released the results of their burger renovation today. The Dave’s Hot N’ Juicy features a buttered, toasted bun over two fresh beef patties. Crinkle cut pickles were added while mustard was removed.

On The Border is expanding their Club Cantina loyalty rewards program. The casual service Mexican chain added the Key Ring Rewards Card to their program for 150 locations. Developing their smart phone engagement with Key Ring helped the chain capture over 40,000 new members to the loyalty program.

Burger King added new soft serve dessert items to its national menu recently. Vanilla soft serve cones and cups come plain for only 89 cents, and adding toppings like granola, fresh fruit and M&M’s costs an extra dollar. The soft serve will also serve as the basis for higher quality milkshakes and sundaes topped with chocolate or caramel.

CiCi’s Pizza is staying on top through variety and dedication to keeping prices low, but the brand is enlisting the help of two industry insiders to continue to growth. Their new growth initiative began last year and aims to add another 500 stores to the pizza buffet chain within a decade. Clif Geisler was hired as the Director of Operational Systems and Rebecca Stone is the new Senior Director of Food and Beverage.

Pizza Inn plans to expand their innovative fast service brand Pie Five Pizza Co. The company hopes to add 8 new restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Within the next two years expansion could bring as many as 15 more stores as well. Franchising for the fast food pizza brand will begin this October in select markets.

TCBy is gearing up to celebrate their 30^th anniversary. The celebration begins on September 30^th when all customers can get a small cup of frozen yogurt for just $.30 at self-serve locations and $1.30 in traditional ones. The official TCBY Facebook page will also feature give aways for free frozen yogurt and valuable coupons.

Reggie Bush is Pizza Hut’s newest commercial star. The running back is traded for a Pizza Hut $10 deal in the chain’s television ad. The promotional campaign is designed to share the $10 Any Pizza Deal that allows customers to pick any combination of toppings, crust and size options for a flat rate of $10.

Buttermilk Falls Inn + Spa has added the new Henry’s Farm to Table restaurant to turn their bed and breakfast into a full featured resort. The restaurant features a menu based solely around the fresh produce and herbs that the kitchen staff can gather each morning. The menu changes seasonally and is supported by the local farms and food artisans.

Louisville, Kentucky is the latest city to play home to the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit chain. Joe Roberts signed a franchise agreement with the company to develop his first location, which will also be a first for the city. There is one other Dickey’s Pit Barbeque location in Kentucky.

A blockbuster trade was made official Monday when star running back Reggie Bush was traded for a $10 pizza in a new ad from Pizza Hut. The new spot heralds the return of the $10 Any pizza deal from Pizza Hut — any size, any crust, any toppings for just $10.

“With taste and value that crush the competition, Pizza Hut is the only pizza worthy of being traded for a star like Reggie Bush,” said Kurt Kane, Chief Marketing Officer at Pizza Hut. “Consumers are becoming increasingly value-conscious and we’re satisfying their craving for a hot deal by bringing back $10 Any. It’s game time at Pizza Hut: our $10 Any pizza deal redefines value in the industry by combining the best tasting pizza with an unbelievable price.”

In the new ad developed by The Martin Agency, Reggie Bush joins two fantasy football owners on a couch only to discover one owner has traded him in exchange for a $10 Supreme pizza from Pizza Hut. In the end — after tasting the goodness of the $10 Supreme pizza loaded with pepperoni, sausage, beef, mushrooms, red onions and green peppers — Reggie gives props to the fantasy owner on his smart trade.  Reggie is the first pro football player to star in a Pizza Hut commercial in more than a decade.

For ten bucks, pizza fans will be able to pick any size pizza they want, select from more than a dozen topping options, and choose from the Pizza Hut signature crusts — including Pan Pizza, Hand-Tossed Style Pizza, and Thin ‘N Crispy Pizza. For an additional charge, customers can enjoy Pizza Hut’s signature crust, Stuffed Crust Pizza. Pizza Hut’s $10 offer will be available for a limited time and no coupon is required. This marks the first time in more than a year that the $10 Any deal has been available nationally.

The number of businesses approved to accept food stamps grew by a third from 2005 to 2010, U.S. Department of Agriculture records show, as vendors from convenience and dollar discount stores to gas stations and pharmacies increasingly joined the growing entitlement program.

Now, restaurants, which typically have not participated in the program, are lobbying for a piece of the action.

Louisville-based Yum! Brands, whose restaurants include Taco Bell, KFC, Long John Silver’s and Pizza Hut, is trying to get restaurants more involved, federal lobbying records show.

That’s a prospect that anti-hunger advocates welcome, but one that worries some current food stamp vendors and public health advocates.

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The main goal of the nation’s food stamp program has been to supplement the buying power of low-income residents when they shop for unprepared foods at grocery stores.

But a major restaurant company is lobbying the federal government on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, federal lobbying records show. Louisville, Ky.-based Yum! Brands has allies among advocates for the hungry who hope to give restaurants a greater role in SNAP.

Yum! Brand restaurants include KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.

A little-used provision dating to the 1970s allows states to OK restaurants for SNAP benefits. The provision allows the elderly, disabled or homeless – populations that might not be able to cook unprepared foods – the option of exchanging their SNAP benefits at participating restaurants, but only a few states have opted into the program. South Dakota is not one of them.

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Who would have thought ten years ago that you’d be able to order a pizza over the phone…without talking to anybody.

That was the goal of Pizza Hut executives – which have “a history of taking calculated risks” – said company Chief Information and Digital Officer Baron Concors at a session at the National Retail Federation’s NRFtech: The IT Leadership Summit.

At a meeting of the senior team in early 2009, Concors said someone pointed out that every executive – ranging in age from 40-65 – had an iPhone. With the insight that smartphone adoption would begin to soar, the company decided they needed to be ahead of the curve in mobile retailing to remain competitive in the cutthroat pizza space. Originally, the company thought their app would target young people (specifically, young males who didn’t want to cook) but quickly realized the iPhone was being adopted quickly among consumers in older age groups.

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Yum! Brands, the world’s largest restaurant company and parent of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, announced today that it is directing the first $1 million from its World Hunger Relief global effort to provide food to families affected by hunger and suffering the effects of drought in the Horn of Africa. The funds will help the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) feed those in urgent need of food assistance.

Drought coupled with high food prices and conflict in the Horn of Africa is affecting more than 13 million people. WFP is rapidly moving life-saving food and nutritional products by sea, air and road to hungry populations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Djibouti, and Somalia to address their needs. In Somalia alone, WFP is feeding 1.5 million people in the northern and central parts of the country and in Mogadishu which continues to fill up with those fleeing the famine zone.

“The situation throughout the Horn of Africa is desperate and we all need to help,” said David Novak, Chairman and CEO, Yum! Brands, Inc. “As a company with a huge heart, we believe it is critical to immediately commit the first $1 million from our World Hunger Relief effort to aid the people throughout the Horn of Africa.”

Novak and other senior executives and franchise leaders from KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Yum! Restaurants International traveled to Honduras earlier this week to help WFP’s relief efforts in the country. As the second poorest country in Central America, Honduras is one of the many recipients of funds raised through World Hunger Relief.

There are nearly 1 billion hungry people around the world today. Hunger and malnutrition are the number one risk to health worldwide – greater than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

Yum! Brands’ annual fall World Hunger Relief effort is the world’s largest private sector hunger relief initiative, spanning 110 countries, 38,000 KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants and over one million employees, to raise awareness, volunteerism and funds for WFP and other hunger relief agencies. Multi-Grammy Award winner Christina Aguilera, the effort’s global spokesperson, will appear in a new public service announcement this fall as well as advertising, online efforts and posters in KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants. Consumers can visit www.fromhungertohope.com or donate in the restaurants this fall. Every U.S. dollar raised will go directly towards WFP’s operations to fight hunger around the world.

Since World Hunger Relief launched in 2007, more than one million of the Company’s employees, franchisees and their families have volunteered more than 21 million hours to aid hunger relief efforts in communities worldwide. The effort has raised nearly $85 million for WFP and other hunger relief organizations and is helping to provide over 350 million meals and save the lives of millions of people in remote corners of the world.

Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Ky., is the world’s largest restaurant company in terms of system restaurants with approximately 38,000 restaurants in more than 110 countries and territories. The company is ranked #214 on the Fortune 500 List, with revenues of more than $11 billion in 2010. Four of the company’s restaurant brands – KFC, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver’s and Taco Bell – are the global leaders of the chicken, quick-service seafood, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. A&W Restaurants is the longest running quick-service franchise chain in America. Outside the United States, the Yum! Brands system opened approximately four new restaurants each day of the year, making it a leader in international retail development. The Company has consistently been recognized for its reward and recognition culture, diversity leadership, community giving, and consistent shareholder returns.

WFP is the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Each year, on average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.wfp.org.

Pizza Hut this week is making an online offer that could elevate its already popular $5 P’Zone to celebrity status. Through Saturday, August 13, fans who “like” Pizza Hut on Facebook at facebook.com/pizzahut or join the Hut Lovers email program at pizzahut.com/deal will receive a free P’Zone with any online pizza purchase(i).  More than 50,000 fans of America’s most popular pizza brand on Facebook took advantage of the unbelievable offer the first day. The hunger-crushing P’Zone, the Pizza Hut take on a delicious, cheese and topping-filled calzone, is available for only $5 at participating Pizza Hut restaurants and free for a limited time.

“When it comes to unmatched taste at a great price, it doesn’t get any better than the $5 P’Zone at Pizza Hut – unless we just give it away,” said Kurt Kane, Chief Marketing Officer at Pizza Hut. “And that’s exactly what we’re doing. We know that our customers continue to face tough spending decisions in an uncertain economy, so we’ve decided to reward those who ‘like’ us on Facebook or sign up for our email program with a delicious free P’Zone when they order a pizza online. We’re inviting everyone in America to take advantage of this free offer and taste the phenomenon that is the mighty Pizza Hut P’Zone.”

How to Score a Free P’Zone

There are two ways to score the ultimate summer reward from Pizza Hut before the offer ends on Saturday, August 13. Facebook users can visit facebook.com/pizzahut, “like” the Pizza Hut page, and then place an online order to get the deal. Users who are already part of the nearly 4 million loyal Pizza Hut brand fans on Facebook can also claim their P’Zone prize by clicking on the “Get Your P’Zone” tab on the Pizza Hut Facebook page.

Hungry customers not on Facebook but still craving a free Pizza Hut P’Zone are also in luck. They can simply visit pizzahut.com/deal and join Hut Lovers email to get their hands on a free P’Zone. Joining Hut Lovers also gives customers access to Pizza Hut coupons, specials, promotions, announcements and event information via an email or text message. The free P’Zone is redeemable with any online pizza purchase.

Party for One

Pizza Hut is taking meal time to a whole new level by folding cheesy, meaty and supremey goodness into a calzone for one. The P’Zone is not meant to be shared, but rather enjoyed as the perfect solution to hunger cravings any time of day.

The P’Zone comes partnered with marinara dipping sauce and is available in the following recipes:

• Meaty – A total meathead: Stuffed with all your favorites – pepperoni, ham, Italian sausage, pork, beef and cheese.
• Pepperoni – For the pepperoni enthusiast: lots and lots of pepperoni and cheese.
• Supremo – Savory Italian sausage mixed with fresh green peppers and red onions in this meat-and-veggie combo.

In addition to the free offer on the Pizza Hut Facebook page and pizzahut.com/deal, customers can get their hands on the mouth-watering P’Zone today for only $5 at their nearest Pizza Hut.

Pizza Hut, America’s Favorite Pizza, delivers more pizza, pasta and wings than any other restaurant. The only pizza company to be named a top ten franchise in 2009 by Entrepreneur Magazine, Pizza Hut began 50 years ago in Wichita, Kansas, and today operates nearly 10,000 restaurants in more than 90 countries. Pizza Hut, Inc. is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM).

Legend has it that Genghis Khan’s cooks tossed mutton, mushrooms and vegetables together to serve his soldiers quickly before battle. Eight centuries later, the same “hot pot” cuisine is now a contender as Yum! Brands’ next big restaurant chain, alongside fast-food outlets KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.

The pending $860 million acquisition of Little Sheep, with 700 locations in China and a handful elsewhere, including San Diego, could satisfy Yum’s search to fill the Chinese cuisine niche. Louisville-based Yum already touts itself as the world’s largest restaurant company, with 38,000 outlets.

Since announcing its purchase in April, company executives have spoken openly about the possibility of building the Little Sheep hot-pot concept into a global brand like KFC. Meanwhile, Chinese regulators are reviewing the purchase.

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David Novak, the chairman-CEO of Yum Brands, is on a mission to lift sales at the restaurant company — the parent of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut — and is challenging his ad agencies to do their part.

According to multiple people familiar with the matter, Mr. Novak has circulated a memo to the company’s lead creative agencies, calling for a “brainstorming session” that will involve its three main ad partners: WPP’s Ogilvy & Mather and Interpublic Group of Cos. siblings DraftFCB and the Martin Agency.

People familiar with the memo said Mr. Novak expressed discontent with the company’s U.S. business results compared with its international growth, and asked for agencies to assess the causes and come up with solutions. Solutions may include anything from untapped consumer trends to operations suggestions to innovations in the fast-food category. Mr. Novak is also understood to have inquired about what could be done on Yum’s part to help improve the creative work.

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McDonald’s popular slogan may be “lovin’ it” but consumers beg to differ, the fast food icon was joined by Burger King, KFC and Taco Bell among the lower ranked chains in Consumer Reports first ever major fast food ratings.

The survey, based on responses from 36,733 subscribers who made more than 98,000 visits to 53 fast-food chains revealed that readers found them to offer uninspiring food, only so-so service. Other major chains with relatively low scores: sandwich shops Arby’s and Quiznos and pizza joints Domino’s and Pizza Hut.

“Chains like McDonald’s and Taco Bell boast supersized values, but consumers don’t necessarily think they offer much bang for the buck,” said Tod Marks, Senior Projects Editor, Consumer Reports. “Fifty four percent of our subscribers cited low prices as a reason for picking a particular fast-food restaurant.”

By contrast, CR’s survey revealed good deals and even better meals at dozens of ever-present fast-food restaurants. Consumer Reports readers gave 21 of the 53 chains high marks for food.  Among the winners:

• For burger fans, In-N-Out Burger rated highest of all 53 chains rated in Consumer Reports Survey with high scores for food, service, value and speed.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill was among the best of 8 leading Mexican food chains, and earned high scores for food, politeness of staff and speed of service.
• One chicken chain topped the rest hands down: Chick-fil-A. With outstanding scores for politeness of staff, and high marks for food, value, and speed of service, respondents rated it higher than seven other leading poultry stops.
• If you’re craving a top-notch wedge, hero, hoagie, or sub served quickly with a smile on the side try Jason’s Deli or Firehouse Subs. Readers gave them the highest marks for food and favorable scores for politeness of staff and speed of services among 11 sandwich and sub chains.  
• The single standout for pizza: Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza, which has an unconventional concept where the patrons order a pizza to bake at home. It earned the highest marks for food, and exceptional scores for value, staff politeness and speed of service among the pizza chains.

Other Key Findings:

Diners want better food. Many restaurants scored higher for service—specifically, speed and politeness—than for food. At chains with the highest scores for food, 42 to 54 percent of patrons called the fare excellent, but at Burger King, KFC, McDonald’s, and Taco Bell, no more than 11 percent of patrons did. In fact, 15 to 19 percent of respondents who ate at one of those chains thought the food was fair, poor, or very poor. At Sbarro, an Italian chain, 27 percent of patrons judged the food fair, poor, or very poor.

Diners want a better experience. Whether they ordered cafeteria-style, at a counter, or at a drive-thru, or had food delivered, readers were much less pleased overall with fast-food restaurants than with casual full-service eateries like Cracker Barrel, Outback Steakhouse, and Red Lobster. Sixty percent of respondents said they were completely or very satisfied with their fast-food dining experiences vs. 68 percent of casual-restaurant patrons.

For the complete ratings of 53 popular fast-food quick-service chains, to find out which chains offer the best food according to Consumer Reports readers, or to learn more about survey results, visit www.ConsumerReports.org starting June 30th, or pick up a copy of August issue of Consumer Reports  wherever magazines are sold.

Websites offering a one-day-only deep discount on local dining are actually helping restaurants attract new customers. Research by Technomic shows that a majority of diners who used discount sites returned later and paid full price. They also were likely to recommend the restaurant to family members or write a review on a social media website.

Whataburger has put together a beautiful and informative book detailing the history of the company just in time for Father’s Day. The Whataburger Story is a hardback photo book perfect for keeping on the coffee table. It features exclusive interviews, photographs and stories from the people who were most involved in the founding of the iconic hamburger chain.

The new Fastest Growing Restaurant Operators Report from Chain Store Guide has been released for 2011. This report focuses on the fastest growing larger chains that currently have at least 50 locations. Growth was measured over a three year span to prevent fast but unstable growth from skewing the results. Affordable luxury dining topped the list.

Domino’s, a pizza chain that managed to resurrect itself after a slow decline, hopes that by the fall of this year international store sales will be higher than U.S. based sales. The chain has almost the same amount of locations both inside and outside the country. However, some countries like China are still presenting difficulties for the brand.

Saladworks, America’s fastest growing fresh salad chain, announced the signing of a new agreement to develop three new locations in the Boston area. The new restaurants will open over the next three years. Tien Tien Lai will be the franchisee for all three. The Saladworks chain currently operates 100 locations with plans for many more to open over the next year.

Burger King and Pizza Hut may not directly compete in the same part of the restaurant industry, but they’ve committed to a new competition. The basketball finals have found Miami and Dallas facing off. BK is based in Miami, and Pizza Hut in Dallas. The CEO of the losing company will spend a day working at a restaurant from the opposing chain.

T.G.I.Friday’s wants you to visit and enjoy their new craft beer menu this summer. To encourage beer lovers the restaurant chain has created the Buy Your Friend a Beer application for Facebook. Users over 21 can buying up to 5 beers for any friend at $5 a piece, regardless of location. The coupons are delivered through Facebook to the recipient.

Baskin-Robbins may be well known for delicious ice cream in the United States, but they just opened their first Singapore location. This marks the 4,000^th location outside the country for the chain. Singapore is the 48^th country to host a Baskin-Robbins store. Executives from the country celebrated the milestone at the grand opening of the store.

A new pizza restaurant is coming to Rogers, Arkansas. Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers will be opening their newest location on June 13^th. The restaurant will be open 7 days a week and offers a beer list with 70 different options, including 30 beers on draft. Mellow Mushroom’s menu features a broad variety of pizzas, salads and sandwiches.

Benihana Inc. has released the fiscal reports for the last quarter of the 2011 fiscal year. The chain saw great improvement in comparable restaurant sales with a rise of 5.6%. Total revenue rose to $81.8 million for the entire fiscal year. Net income was slightly lower than last year, with $0.5 million during 2011 compared to $1.7 million last year.